Research Training (Dissertation Students) (P00056)

? Credit Points : 0 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : EDU-P-P00056

This training is designed to provide course members with the knowledge and skills necessary for undertaking a dissertation/extended study at postgraduate level. It will offer an overview of the concepts and techniques which underpin research and provide students with an opportunity to practice certain research skills. The module is assessed by producing a proposal for the student's dissertation including a literature review, a strategy for data collection and a timetable. This module constitutes the research methods element of the dissertation for students enrolled on a programme which has recently been reviewed.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Research (EDU), (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) 30 minutes per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
18/09/2007	17:30	20:00	Room G42, Patersons Land	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Course members should demonstrate:

-the ability to identify a professionally relevant research question from a broader area of enquiry and to develop a plan which will enable the research to be implemented;

-the ability to use computer-based and other sources of bibliographic data and to evaluate critically the literature accessed;

-awareness of the range of investigation techniques used in research, of the values and assumptions underlying each technique and of the limitations of the evidence produced;

-critical engagement with the relationships between theory, evidence, policy and practice;

-an appreciation of the principles of ethics in research and how these principles apply to specified contexts;

-knowledge of the key aspects of research proposals and reports and of the nature of scientific writing.

Assessment Information

The assessment for this module will consist of a proposal of around 2000 words for the work on which the course member intends to base his/her Dissertation. The proposal should specify a research question, or set of related research questions, and justify their theoretical significance and professional relevance. It should show awareness of the relevant literature and propose a strategy for collecting evidence which is suitable for the research question. The likely reliability and validity of the evidence should be discussed along with any ethical considerations which arise from the strategy proposed. There should be a plan and timetable for collecting evidence and writing up the Dissertation and (where applicable) drafts of any data collection instruments which will be needed.